Summer goals

Now that my summer vacation is over (more recap posts to come – no worries!), I’d like to share some easy, achievable, looking-forward-to goals for the rest of the warm summer months. Nothing too serious, just a reminder of the fun things about summer!
(If you have been following my blog, you might have noticed that I am way behind on my updates for the more serious goals of my “12 changes”-project. I’ll catch up on that pretty soon.)

1. Drink more iced coffee. I’ve seen the cold-brewed coffee instructions pop up all over the Internet and it’s time to invest in a coffee press and make it happen. I need to know what all the fuss is about.

2. BBQ. If we had the opportunity (read: a place to store and operate a BBQ grill, even a small one), J and I would be all-summer-long-BBQers. Unfortunately, we don’t really have the space to do it regularly, but I want to make it a goal to get out to the park a couple more times.

3. Enjoy the summer weather and spend more time outside. When I hear about the sad, sad summer that my family and friends in Germany have to endure, I really want to be thankful for the hot temperatures here in the Central Valley and enjoy the weather as much as I can. However, that is easier said than done, when the temperatures frequently reach the triple digits and you’re not cut out for the heat. I am hoping to go for more evening walks/runs and sit on our balcony more often.

4. Read more. On-going, always-on-the-list goal for the summer. There’s nothing better than some iced tea and a good book to wind down.

5. Visit the Farmers Market. I’ve seriously neglected the Farmers Market for months and it’s definitely time to visit again.

6. Indulge. It’s the summer and it’s time to enjoy life and its yummy treats! I am a sucker for ice-cream. I could eat ice-cream every single day in the summer. That is, mind you, not really an option, but what also works great for me as treats are popsicles. They’re refreshing and have way fewer calories than regular ice-cream.

7. Happy hour with friends. Namely one special lady that is about to leave me and the beautiful city of Sacramento soon for the ‘Windy City’. (Are you sure you want to leave the moderate Californian winter for lots of snow and ice?)

8. More brunches. I said it before and I will say it again: I love weekend brunches – preferably with some lovely ladies and some girl talk. Who wants to start a brunch club?

9. Find and try more cold dinner ideas. Let’s face it, it’s not very fun to cook when it’s t’s around 100°F outside and I am trying to come up with more ideas for cold dinners and snacks (besides salads, which I love, but which can get boring.) I definitely want to cook milk rice again (a summer favorite at my parents’ house) and cherry soup (with the slightly unhealthy, but refreshing option of adding vanilla ice-cream).

10. More time for crafts. Another side effect of the heat is that I rarely turn on the computer at home in the evenings, because it only generates more heat in our already hot apartment. That has freed up some time again for more crafting and I’ve been working on some smaller projects in the evenings for the last few weeks. I definitely want to continue this streak.

What goals do you have for a fun rest of the summer?